Blizzard of Oz | Kansas City, KS 2013
Blizzard of Oz | Kansas City, KS 2013
Because there’s been so much snow in Kansas City the past few days, I thought I’d play a wintry word association game with you.
SNOW. What are the first three books that flutter into your mind?
I’m not a big fan of New Year’s resolutions, but this year, I thought it might be good to take a more active approach to reading. I don’t think I’ve ever made an ‘official’ reading plan before. Unless you count the summer before my senior year in high school, when I tried to read ahead for my A.P. English class based on what my brothers had read for the same teacher in previous years (can you say nerd?).
So, besides waiting tables in a little Mediterranean café, I spent the summer of 1996 reading Catcher in the Rye, Lord of the Flies, The Great Gatsby, and The Invisible Man (Ralph Ellison’s, not H. G. Wells‘).
Part Two of this gift guide focuses on books written by JRR Tolkien, CS Lewis, Charles Dickens, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, along with their movie counterparts. If you buy [from Amazon] today, you could still get these gifts in time for Christmas!
» Don’t miss Part One (highlighting female authors: Jane Austen, Charlotte Brontë, and Louisa May Alcott).
Hobbiton | New Zealand 2010
Hobbiton | New Zealand 2010
And so begins the first tale ever told of a hobbit. What is a hobbit? They are a tiny people who love bright colours, lush gardens and green fields, rich food and a good pint, and think home is the best place you could be. And they came to life in the imagination of a certain Englishman in the early 1900s.
Hobbiton | New Zealand 2010
Hobbiton | New Zealand 2010
Just in case you missed any of the Gimme Some Hobbit happenings this week, here’s a complete listing for your easy perusing:
layer upon layer | New Zealand 2010
Tolkien creates clever, witty and profound dialogue, which Jackson pulls from for his film adaptations, but there are narrative lines that can’t quite be captured or translated in a film — like this one “when there was less noise and more green”. More green? Seriously? So good.
Part of Tolkien’s mastery is in making the simplest string of words tell the most profound thoughts. Whether it’s Bilbo muttering practical encouragement to himself or Thorin having a bit of a lightbulb moment, Tolkien shows that you don’t have to use fancy words to get deep concepts across.
Hobbiton | New Zealand 2010
Hobbiton | New Zealand 2010
Beyond creating entire languages for elves and orcs, Tolkien was known for making up English words as well. As you read The Hobbit, you might find yourself confidently checking a dictionary for a definition only to find it not there, because with Tolkien’s knowledge of the fundamentals of language, his made-up words sound real.
Here are a few words (regular English and Tolkien-ese) that might make you search Google. Interestingly, several of the words were synonymous with confusion.
Hobbiton | Matamata, NZ 2010
Back in the Fall of 2010, I got to visit some good friends living in Auckland, NZ. Tim, a fellow Tolkien-enthusiast, had kindly waited for my arrival before visiting Hobbiton. So, one sunny day in September, Tim, Mimi, Blaise and I drove south through the fantastically verdant hills, towards The Shire.
en route to Matamata | New Zealand 2010
poster photos courtesy of Harshness; tote photo courtesy of HandmadeandCraft
Poster images courtesy of Nicholas Hyde; Tote photo courtesy of Kimberly Layton
In honour of the movie The Hobbit, (to be released this Friday!) we wanted to start your week off right with a Hobbit giveaway. Thanks to three lovely Etsy sellers, one of you Tolkien fans can win this Hobbit Gift Set!
Sometimes buying a gift for a bookworm can be daunting. Bookworms tend to like subtlety and it can be difficult to keep up with their very particular likes and dislikes. Don’t be discouraged — approach the case like a good mystery and you’re on the hunt for clues that can lead you to the perfect literary gift. A little research on my end + a little research on your end just might = a great bookish gift for a reader you love. May this gift guide give you a good head start.
Sherlock suggested I begin with a list of wearable literary gifts. (I think it’s because he’s become something of a fashion icon these days, as you will soon see…)
